His father, George, suggested that perhaps ‘Fretz might be a Wechselbag, or changeling’.

When in 1737 Queen Caroline lay dying, George refused to let Fretz say goodbye to his mother, and Caroline was said to be very thankful.

She said ‘At last I shall have one comfort in having my eyes eternally closed, I shall never have to see that monster again’.

Frederick didn’t live to a good old age as he died in 1751 after being struck on the head with a cricket-ball.

His son, the future George III, who was a teenager at the time, was genuinely unhappy when his father died. He said ‘I feel something here’ (putting his hand on his heart) ‘just as I did when I saw two workmen fall from the scaffold at Kew’.

At his death the following piece was written about Fred.

Here lies poor Fred who was alive and is dead,
Had it been his father I had much rather,
Had it been his sister nobody would have missed her,
Had it been his brother, still better than another,
Had it been the whole generation, so much better for the nation,
But since it is Fred who was alive and is dead,
There is no more to be said!

Poor Fred indeed!

Warwick Castle are now taking bookings for 2019, with overnight stays from just £43 per person. More details at the link below.